How easy do you find switching broadband, TV and phone packages?

Former_MSE_Aileen

Ofcom, the communications regulator, wants to ensure that switching between providers is easy and convenient for consumers. They are asking for your experiences of switching ‘bundles’ (where you take up one or more service from the same provider). Services in these bundles include landline calls, broadband and TV. They are also looking at how easy it is to switch mobile phone networks.

You can read the full consultation but as it's 27 pages we've listed the key questions below. Email your experiences to consumer.switching@ofcom.org.uk by Tue 30 Sep and share them below by clicking ‘quick reply’.

One thing that we will be responding to is Ofcom's suggestion that providers offering discounts to existing customers after haggling is 'harmful'. We will be arguing the opposite and urging them to carry on allowing haggling. If you have any thoughts on this please also include in your replies.

Key questions

Bundles:
• Who did you switch from and to? (e.g. Virgin to TalkTalk)
• Which services were you switching? (e.g. landline phone and TV)

Mobile phone providers:
• Who did you switch from and to? (e.g. Vodafone to EE)
• Did you transfer your existing phone number or did you get a new number with the new provider?

Did you experience any of these issues (bundles and mobile phones):
• Any difficulty switching
• Not knowing or not being told by providers about the implications of switching
• Providers switching without your consent
• Providers switching your services to the wrong address
• Losing service during the switching process
• Haggling with your existing provider

Please describe your experience, and if you had any other issues.

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lindajill

Beware: EE shortchanges customers when signing up to a Broadband and landline bundle!

I signed up to a 1 year contract with EE which includes Broadband, landline rental and inclusive anytime calls to landlines, mobiles and some international calls.

My broadband transferred to EE on 26/8/14. My landline is not due to transfer to EE until 11/9/14.

EE has confirmed that my contract start date is 26/8/14. This means that although I have paid EE to supply a landline and inclusive calls from this date, my landline will remain with my old provider until it is transferred across to EE on 11/9/14. I am therefore paying both EE and Plusnet for my landline and all calls that I make for the period 26/9/14 to 10/9/14. This seems to be standard practice for EE and is tantamount to breach of contract by EE. Following 2 very protracted, frustrating phone calls to EE to discuss this matter, they have now agreed to refund the equivalent of 1/12th of the total contract fee to compensate for the lack of landline and call provision between 26/8/14 and 10/9/14.

EE needs to sort this situation out for ALL of it's customers and ensure that the full terms of the contract that customers sign up to (Broadband, landline and inclusive calls that form part of the contract) are all provided from the contract start date.

rajp

Not easy to switch - outage during switching and them some companies run a test which could last for 2 weeks to see and adjust your speed. During this time lots of disconnects and errors on the BB.

Also seems like most providers will not let you switch one service, they want / need you to have the whole package i.e. Phone line and BB.....

anselm_3

apologies if I've picked up the wrong thread..I've swopped to EE from virgin. The different systems meant the changeover was fine; I was running both side by side so had no disruption. My gripe is with Virgin's cancelling! I did (I think)everything right..I wrote, recordeddelivery, gave them a date, 30days in advance, and asked for afinal bill. nothing happened soI chatted online with them and agreed a finalbill of £4.81 and I have the printout and screenshots to prove it. I've just received an email bill for £29 and no mention of it being final! I've cancelled the direct debit because I know that they will keep taking money...I just know!!!!!! I feel that this seems to happen every time I swop a service. I'll get a debt collection letter in a few weeks time for £40-50..which I'll pay (fearing a CCJ) and on it goes. I doubt I'm the only one this happens to; I think its a racket. why can't any of them make the final bill process as painless as the signing up process?

Pincher

What I do find a little annoying is the way they retire old e-mail addresses. I am on my third variation of my Virgin Media address. There was a [EMAIL="xxxxx@ntlworld.com"]xxxxx@ntlworld.com[/EMAIL] , but that is no longer relevant.


So what I need is for Virgin to change their name to OCP (Omni Consumer Products, from Robocop), so next time I join, I get a [EMAIL="xxxxx@ocp.com"]xxxxx@ocp.com[/EMAIL] address.

vee622

my switch over from plusnet to sky was fine everything was smooth until i kept getting a demanding bill from plusnet which were always paid by direct debit and in advance, i was told by sky that i would not have to do anything but since day one it as been constant battle with plusnet, sky had cancelled my account with them and the date was sorted and switched fine but plusnet decided they wanted £30 cessation charge because sky hadn't asked for a mac code, sky then told me they didn't need it as their equipment was advanced for that now, the fact still remained of the charged from plusnet who i am still waiting to hear from, they also after numerous ticket raised agreed i was due money back and they could see the switch over bit i was still to pay the £30 i had no choice as it was my refund they took to pay it with!

mum2one

undles:
• Who did you switch from and to? (e.g. Virgin to TalkTalk) - Switching from BT to EE, unfortunatly the cost of BT as I have fibre optic, which is really expensive with BT,
• Which services were you switching? (e.g. landline phone and TV)
i'm switching landline and broadband



Did you experience any of these issues (bundles and mobile phones):
• Any difficulty switching
A big yes - BT are a nightmare to let me go and supply a mac code.
• Not knowing or not being told by providers about the implications of switching
Havent been told of any impliciations

• Haggling with your existing provider
A nightmare....

Please describe your experience, and if you had any other issues.

My first change was January last yr, I was originally with Aol, they had the broadband and call package, whilst the landline rental stayed with Bt, I had a month of no service from AOL - it was a faulty router, they refused to send me a new router (despite mine being 5 yrs old and i even offered to pay). I needed to swop quickly, and got sucked into the sales pith from BT and was convinced to have fibre optic, and my area was eligable for the fast service, I be honest and say i must have been a sales person dream, I was that easy...

my BT package, was line rental (£15) upgrade my line to inclusive calls, (£6) (not mobiles), and the unlimited super dooper broadband (£27), in that they gave me a bT vision box on basic package for free (saving £5 pm for 12 mths) and free BT sports (free).
That was on a 18 mth contract, my basic bill adding Vat was around £54 a month

i gave notice in jan this yr to cancel the bt vision, somehow the sports disappeared, when I enquired about the sports I was told that I could renew but I would be signed in for 12 months - no thank you....

Come August this yr, in EE arranging a sim only deal, and got asked about BB and phone, - basically unlimited fibre, all calls and 1000 mins to mobiles - worked out £36 per month.... just £6 for router, and £50 connection charge, which be refunded on 1st bill.

phoned BT to ask for a mac code - 40 minutes I had of sales pitch,
Free BT vision - no thanks have sky
reduced fibre for 6 mths (£5 off) - no still cheaper with EE
change package to lower speed - same price as your paying now (doh!!)
hange package to 20gb mth - no I want unlimited.

Even after explaining to the sales agent, that thank you for all the offers, I need to go as I was waiting to go visiting in hospital I was in the hosp car park, he still carried on.

Only when I had 40mins of this, I asked for a manager, as I had explained that I was out of contract (even thou EE will pay upto £100 if you get charged), that unless they could match like for like inc mobile calls, then I'm moving...

At this point, process your mac code - be 5 working days......

10 days still waiting... got to ring back.

It was the most frustrating time, and I can see why people would stay with their provider.

KPaul

In mid-May I switched between Sky and VirginMedia for a phone/broadband/TV bundle. I felt initially that the process was easy. Virgin’s advice was that they would take care of everything and they supplied a letter which I wrote to Sky, which I signed and dated, ending my services with them.

The Virgin services started just fine and I had a confirmation email from Sky saying “sorry to see you go”. However, I discovered today that Sky has continued to DD my account for TV services. I had not noticed that they had not cancelled this (and I take responsibility for this). On calling Sky, they said that the letter I wrote was insufficient to cancel and that I should have called. They refused any refund and have charged me for the full 4 months, including a full month from now. They said that they had a large number of incidents like mine every day and that it was Virgin’s fault. Their records showed clearly that my other services had been correctly cancelled back in May.

On calling Virgin, Virgin said that is was not a matter for them but that they would give me a 2 month goodwill payment for the Sky charges. I advised Virgin that they needed to stop giving customers the impression that they would take care of everything in the switch and that customers must without fail call Sky to cancel their services rather than simply posting the Virgin letter, which I imagine spiteful CSR's just bin at the Sky offices.

For those thinking of switching, please keep this in mind! (And I for one am unlikely ever to go back to Sky.)

Grumpily,
Paul

Robin9

I am trying to switch a business landline from UW to PRIMUS.

Primus has told me that while they can switch from BT , Virgin they cannot siwtch from some other suppliers. The proposed solution is to establish a second line @ £xx with a new number - I don't want a new number or spend £xx.


Has anyone else experienced this ?